ANIML SC 1016RW - Principles in Animal Behaviour Welfare Ethics I

Roseworthy Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

The course will provide the students with an introduction to the principles of animal ethics, behaviour and welfare. Subject areas which will be covered include introduction to animal welfare; animal welfare issues and current developments; animal welfare legislation; introduction to animal ethics; the history of animal behaviour; introduction to animal behaviour in the wild and domesticated species. Knowledge gained in the lecture material will be put into practice in the practical exercises.

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Course Details

Course Code	ANIML SC 1016RW
Course	Principles in Animal Behaviour Welfare Ethics I
Coordinating Unit	School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Roseworthy Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Restrictions	Available to BSc (Animal Science), BSc (Animal Behaviour) and Bachelor of Veterinary Technology students only
Assessment	Quizzes, group project, individual reflection report, written exam

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Susan Hazel

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Outline how the study of animal behaviour has developed historically and use Tinbergen’s four questions to frame hypotheses relating to animal behaviour
2	Understand what an ethogram consists of, and be able to perform and interpret analysis of the behaviour of any animal; and discuss social behaviour and how this varies between different animal species
3	Describe the meaning of sentience, and the evidence for varying levels of cognition in animals
4	Apply learning theory to the training and management of animals
5	Compare and contrast three conceptions of animal welfare: 1) basic health and functioning; 2) affective states, and 3) natural living; and apply and interpret behavioural and physiological measures to aid in determining an animal’s welfare
6	Describe the main philosophical frameworks used in animal ethics and compare and contrast the many factors (culture, public opinion, science, technology, regulation, economics) that influence decisions about animal use and reflect on their own ethical judgements
7	Demonstrate appropriate written and oral communication skills; and their ability to work effectively as part of a team and provide helpful feedback to other team members

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1-6
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	3, 5-6
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	5-7
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	5-7
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	6-7
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	7
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	5-7

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There are no specific required resources for this course. There are no single textbooks that will provide background to all of the material presented in this course. A list of some useful textbooks will be available in the Course Handbook. Supplementary material will be made available on MyUni. Students are encouraged to read as widely as possible during the course to enable a deeper understanding of the topics presented.
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes

The course will consist of lectures, Team-based learning, tutorials and practicals

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Learning Activities Summary
Lecture topics:
- A history of the study of animal behaviour
- Tinbergen’s hypotheses
- Ethology and ethograms
- Nature & Nurture
- Behaviour in important animal species
- Social behaviour
- Affective States,
- Sentience & Cognition
- Behaviour in zoo animals
- Animal Welfare
- Welfare in Zoo animals
- Physiological Measures of Animal Welfare
- Welfare in Lab Animals
- Behavioural Measures of Animal Welfare
- Animal Ethics
- A history of the ethical debate on animal use
- Animal welfare legislation
- Assessment and Promotion of Animal Welfare
- Animal Welfare & Sustainability
Tutorials:
- Levels of Scientific Evidence
- Feeding the world and animal welfare
Practicals:
- Behaviour and low stress handling in Dogs
- Behavioural Tests in Horses
- Clicker Training of Chickens
- Using behaviour to move sheep in a paddock
- Low stress cattle handling
- Pedigree dog welfare
- Behaviour recording
- Animal welfare vs animal rights

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Hurdle	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Team Based Learning (TBL)	Formative & Summative	Run over weeks 2-10	No	25%	1-7
Practical Questions	Summative	Week 9	No	10%	2-6
Sustainability and Animal Welfare	Formative & Summative	Week 12	No	35%	2-7
Written Exam	Summative	End of semester	No	30%	1-7

Assessment Detail

Team Based Learning (TBL) (TOTAL 25%)
Team Based Learning (TBL) is a teaching method which encourages active student participation. It is a learner-centred but instructor-led method with structured individual and group accountability.

The marks will be allocated to an individual MCQ test, a team MCQ test, and a peer review of individual contributions to the teams’ work.

Practical Questions (10%)
In each practical class or online activity students will be given an online quiz or questions to answer.

NOTE: Attendance at practical classes is compulsory. Students who do not attend practical classes may not be offered supplementary examinations if required.

Sustainability and Animal Welfare (TOTAL 35%)
The aim of this scenario is to enable students to gain an understanding of the complexities relating to feeding the world sustainably in the future while maintaining animal welfare.

The team work will consist of a written report worth 10% and a video worth 10%.

Reflective report (individual 15%): students will reflect on what they learnt about animal welfare, decision making, and their individual and team work during the assignment.

Written Examination (30%)
An exam will be conducted at the end of semester to test student’s knowledge and application of all of the material covered during the course.

Submission

Late Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator